Category Archives: Business & Economy

IT employees to have a body to press for their demands

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology, , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

ITemployeesMPOs27jun2016

The AIITEA will hold its first meeting on June 30 on the ITC Infotech campus

Amid the opportunities and growth prospects, the problems faced by employees of the information technology sector are among the least addressed. The struggles within these workplaces often get sidelined or swept under the carpet by the ‘terms and conditions’ of the company. Consequently, employees often have little say in such matters.

Now these unhealthy workplace practices have forced IT employees to join hands to make a forum where they can address their issues.

The All India Information Technology Employee Association (AIITEA), a registered body meant to take up and resolve problems faced by people in the IT sector, is going to have its first meeting on June 30, on the ITC Infotech campus to announce in the open its arrival in the IT city.

Syed Muqeem, head of AIITEA and one of the founder members of the association, said: “There is a general perception that unions and associations are for blue-collar people, but there are many instances where the IT employees, the so-called white-collar staff, face workplace-related problems, but there is no group to support them.”

“Most associations that have been formed earlier either play in the hands of the big multinational companies or have failed to take up the issues faced by the employees in the sector, and take it to a logical conclusion. This void that the industry has created over a period is what we are trying to fill up. Our main aim is to ensure equal employee representation in resolving employee grievances,” said Muqeem.

Bengaluru, deemed India’s IT capital, is home to 35 per cent of the 8 million IT employees and in the last financial year, it clocked around 1 lakh crore in software exports. But beneath this glitter is a dark cloud looming and that is the ever-deteriorating state of the IT employees.

A global study done by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) says 50 per cent of employees in India Inc are under stress and around 30 per cent software engineers in the city show signs of psychiatric disorder. One in every 20 employees has contemplated suicide.

The fast pace at which the IT industry is progressing has its own side-effects and employees are at the receiving end. Muqeem said that till date “we have helped resolve around 15 cases where the employee was being harassed by the employer, but on an average we receive 15-20 complaints per week, but the fear of losing one’s job, coupled with the feeling that engaging with an association might hamper future growth prospects is what is keeping many from coming out in the open”.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / June 27th, 2016

Yemeni Lungis fly off the shelves in Pearl City

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, World Opinion, , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

A shopkeeper displaying a Yemeni lungi | (Vinay Madapu/EPS)
A shopkeeper displaying a Yemeni lungi | (Vinay Madapu/EPS)

Hyderabad :

While the colourful lungi is fast disappearing giving way to the trendy Bermudas, the casual wear is making a comeback among certain communities in the Pearl City.

Sale of imported Yemeni lungis or Futah (also called Izaar in Saudi Arabia) has more than doubled during the holy month of Ramzan in Barkas, the area where Arab-origin Hy derabadis reside in Old City.

While big shops in the area have recorded a whopping 60-70 per cent rise in the sale of lungis, small-scale textile dealers say that there is a 50 per cent rise in demand for lungis.

 

A shopkeeper displaying a Yemeni lungi | (Vinay Madapu/EPS)
A shopkeeper displaying a Yemeni lungi | (Vinay Madapu/EPS)

“The lungis form part of our identity,” said 23-year-old Khaled Umar, who doesn’t mind shelling out some extra bucks for it.

Young or old, every male in Barkas prefers the Arab lungis along with full or half-sleeved shirts over any other dress. This is said to be the reason for the spurt in sale of the simple casual wear during Ramzan.

“People gift lungis to their relatives in Barkas and elsewhere during Ramzan and Eid, and a customer will order for multiple number of lungis,” said Md Sarfaraz Khan, a dealer.

Though the price range of lungis starts from Rs 350, high-quality Futahs cost up to Rs 7,000.But, one needs to be extremely careful in handling the lungis. “They are not for rough use. They should be cleaned with care and not squeezed too hard, or else small holes may appear,” said the shop-owner, whose great grandfather, like many other residents of Barkas was brought to Hyderabad as soldiers in the Nizam’s Army.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Aishik Chanda / June 20th, 2016

Engineers come forward to support distressed farmers

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Green Products, , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The quartet who are part of the start-up Toe-Up | Express Photo
The quartet who are part of the start-up Toe-Up | Express Photo

Hyderabad :

Concerned over the plight of farmers, whose fortunes depend on the vagaries of weather, four engineers have shouldered the task of developing an app to help them out.

S Saquibuddin, Shaik Mukheet, Neha Bandari and Asma Fatima, working at the T-hub in Hyderabad are in the process of developing ‘Niyantran’, an app to provide crop related information to the farmers and help them seek help of experts for better yield.

“Initially we wanted to create an identity for ourselves and decided to take the startup route instead of a waiting for a job. As agriculture is the most neglected sector in spite of being the most important one, we decided to concentrate on this area. As we came to know about the plight of farmers, who land in debt-trap due to vagaries of weather, we decided to develop an app for the farming community,” said S Saquibuddin, CEO and co-founder of the startup christened ‘Toe-Up’.

Saquibuddin, Mukheet and Neha have graduated from Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Dundigal and being aeronautical engineers they have experimented the use of drones to monitor crops. But as it proved unviable due to practical difficulties and cost factor, they have decided to come up with a more convenient and easy tool for farmers.

“After downloading the ‘Niyantran’ app, farmers can seek expert opinion regarding the problems they face in farming. They can click the picture of the plant or crop affected by pest or other problems and send it to the experts. He will immediately receive guidance from experts regarding pest control. They can even record their voice and send it like in WhatsApp for information and guidance,” explained Neha.

The quartet has been working on the app for the past eight months and it will be ready for launch in a month.

While these youngsters are not keen about financial returns through this app, they are ambitious about building a profile to catch the attention of venture capitalists and investors. The start up received a shot in the arm as NASA selected it to conduct its space app challenge in Hyderabad.

“Besides being selected for T-Hub we are also part of Collab House, co-working space launched by Mozilla in Hyderabad. This has given us good mentors and exposure. Our focus is on developing apps that will bring out a positive change and Niyantran is part of that effort. Once we add value and bring in a positive change, we believe that success will follow,” stated Saquibuddin.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. Deepti Nandan Reddy / Express News Service / June 16th, 2016

How to be your own boss at 19

Business & Economy,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

NabhaanTELAN02jun2016

HYDERABAD:

It has once been said, “Follow your own heart, not the world”. To achieve something in life, and to make your mark in the world, you have to have to courage to face the odds and follow your dreams. Here’s someone, from our very own city, who had the courage to follow what his heart said, and has made his dreams come true, at such a young age.

Meet Nabhan Mahmood, a young entrepreneur and the CEO of Iron Threads. The firm in Banjara Hills, deals with clothing and apparel solutions whilst also managing sporting arenas and facilities.

The clothing line manages customised and retail merchandise, ranging from college, corporate to individual orders. He established his very own company when he was 19 in November 2014. Through the past two years, he has successfully made his company an international brand name, signing contracts with Hyderabad Cricket Association, Platinum Motor Cars Detroit, Telangana Basketball, Telangana Hockey, and New York University (NYU) Football, to name a few. Graduated from Amity University, Delhi, this young entrepreneur is presently pursuing Law from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

So what inspired him to start Iron Threads at such a young age? “I was intent on making a difference in my own life and in the lives of those around me. Being an entrepreneur was the most plausible and exciting route to accomplish that. I dreamed of being my own boss.”

He thanks his parents let him venture into something like this at such a young age. “I started my company on a shoestring budget – from the savings I had made from winning football tournaments. My parents initially assumed it was a source of added pocket money so they did not oppose it. As time passed, when they saw that my venture was growing rapidly and that my grades weren’t suffering from my added work load, they too became comfortable with the idea of me going ahead with this venture.”

Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision that contributed to his success? Nabhan says, “The decision to invest my savings in my own venture rather than a mutual fund. It kept me in charge of my money and investments and gave me the drive to use it as tactfully as I could.”

Currently he hires people whenever he needs. “Otherwise, I’m a one-man army,” he adds.

Everyone looks back and wish they had done things differently. If he could time travel back to day one of his start-up and have 15 minutes with his former self, what would you tell yourself? “I’d tell myself to find multiple options of transport of consignment sooner. This would help me avoid dependence on any one agency, as the workload gets too cumbersome for any one agency to handle efficiently and on time.”

“Business has taught me that you’ll only be to achieve the things you’re willing to suffer for and that fear is a phenomenal source of motivation to chase your goals,” he says.”

“It is also okay to be different from your peers. In fact, it is necessary to be different if you want to shape your life according to your ideals and achieve stellar success that would give meaning to your time and efforts. Anyone can be ordinary just as anyone can be special- a disciplined work ethic and passion and fearless approach is what separates those who dream from those who achieve those dreams.”

His mantra is what Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Drishika Adhiya / June 01st, 2016

The waza from the Valley

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Travel & Tourism, , , , ,

Jammu & Kashmir :

BashirMPOs31may2016

Bashir Ahmad Concha on how to dish out the traditional multi-course and meat-rich Kashmiri wazwan

Ask most visiting chefs about their tryst with South Indian flavours and they’d wax eloquent about their love for the crunch of a crispy dosa. But not waza (traditional Kashmiri chef) Bashir Ahmad Choncha. He’s more likely to scowl and say, “The flavours are too unfamiliar.” For, compared to our fluffy idlis, rich coconut chutney and spicy sambar, his familiar food — the spicy and salty lahbi kebab, rich curd-based nadru yakhni and melt-in-the-mouth minced mutton ball in creamy gushtaba — feels decidedly different. Yet, the wazwan is a treat for anyone curious about the possibilities of the unfamiliar.

The wazwan, considered the pride of Kashmiri cuisine, is rich, to say the least. It is made during special occasions, and traditionally served in a large plate that’s shared by four. Most dishes are curd-based and all of them are made with liberal amounts of ghee. To top it off, the spread is meat-heavy. Mutton, mostly, as most Kashmiri Muslims prefer that. The chef’s favourite is the tabak maaz, a mutton appetiser that’s deep fried in ghee. “What can I say? Most people in Kashmir are rich and they want to eat rich food too,” laughs waza Bashir, even as he insists that the ghee will only make one strong, not fat.

The most challenging dishes to make, he says, are the light and spicy rista and the heavy yogurt-based gushtaba, for which the meat needs to be pounded by hand for half an hour. The vegetables have a distinct flavour, as do the spices from the region. It is for this reason that the waza says he brought 400 kg of ingredients for the ten-day Kashmiri Wazwan food festival at Spice Haat, Hyatt Regency.

Waza Bashir learnt his culinary flair from his father, chef Noor Mohammad Choncha, by watching him cook eversince he was eight years old. “My father would have never allowed me to become a waza if he were alive. He never wanted me to come into the family business.” But when his father passed away, Bashir took over the kitchen at 25. For the last 20 years, he has been at the helm of things at ‘Concha Foods’, a restaurant in Srinagar and also, a manufacturing outfit that packages and exports spices from the valley. “There’s a big market for Kashmiri cuisine. Every month, 1,000 kg of tin-packed rista and gushtaba are exported to places around India, the United States and Gulf countries.”

His fame in the packaged food business soon saw him plate up flavours from the valley at food festivals in Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh and other places.

However, he says, wazas taking the road is rare. Even though his father had close to 1,000 students, most of them have set up their own restaurants in Kashmir. “The wazwan is a big business in Kashmir. A typical Kashmiri indulges in the wazwan about once a week. One plate is priced at Rs. 2,500 even in a small shop. It’s a very exotic spread. So it’s very rare that people leave the valley to make wazwan.”

Kashmiri Food Festival at Spice Haat is open for dinner till May 29. There’s a Buffet is priced at Rs.1,550, vegetarian thali at Rs. 1,000 and non-vegetarian thali at Rs. 1,200, (exclusive of taxes), to choose from. For details, call 61001234.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / Raveena Joseph / May 23rd, 2016

Morocco: New Delhi Eyes Big Investments, Indian Vice-President to Visit Rabat

Business & Economy, Leaders, World Opinion, ,

KOLKATA (West Bengal) / UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI :

REUTERS
REUTERS

The Indian Vice-President Hamid Ansari is expected in Morocco from May 30 to June 1, a visit expected to highlight by the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU.)

The Indian Vice-President’s visit is taking place few months after King Mohammed VI visited India to participate in the India-Africa summit held in October last year. The king was the guest of honor of the India-Africa summit.

During this diplomatic visit, the first in 50 years since the last visit of an Indian Vice-President, Ansari will hold talks with Moroccan officials on a wide range of issues including economy and UN Security Council expansion, Indian sources say.

“This visit intends to further strengthen the cordial relations between the two countries, further develop and diversify profile of bilateral economic cooperation and explore new avenues of co-operation and partnership on a wide range of issues of shared interest,” a statement from the Indian external Affairs Ministry said.

The Indian Vice-President will also launch, together with the Head of the Moroccan Government Abdelilah Benkirane, the India-Morocco Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to Indian sources.

Besides the political dimension of the trip, a special accent will be put on the economic issues as India plans to expand market outreach of its cars and truck manufacturers.

MoUs will be signed in education, IT and communication technology sectors during the visit.

Several economic initiatives have been undertaken by both sides over the past months. Last month, officials of the two countries’ ministries of transports mulled in Mumbai the idea to launch a direct air link between the two countries.

Also in the course of April, a team of Moroccan business people visited New Delhi to study business partnership opportunities that can be established between India and Morocco.

source: http://www.northafricapost.com / The North Africa Post / Home> Headlines> Morocco / by Kamailoudini Tagba / May 27th, 2016

Kerala’s farmers reap a rich plant genome saviour award harvest

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Science & Technology, , , ,

Thrissur, KERALA  :

The Kerala farmers dominated the National Plant Genome Saviour Awards-2013 by winning seven out of fourteen rewards announced by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV & FR)  Authority, Government of India.

The seven farmers involved in conservation of traditional crop varieties were nominated for awards by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).

FarmingTalesKERALA15may2016

K V Kannan ( Kannur), Benny Mathew (Agali, Palakkad), Melethil Beerankutty (Malappuram) and Muhammed Moopan (Malappuram) have been selected for Plant Genome Saviour farmer’s reward  which consists of a purse of `1.5 lakh, a memento and a citation, while K Raman (Cheruvayal, Wayanad), P Krishnan (Palakkad) and K Narendran (Kollam ) will receive Plant Genome Saviour recognition which consists of a purse carrying `1 lakh, a memento and a citation at a function to be held in Delhi shortly.

KAU Vice-Chancellor Dr P Rajendran described the seven awards as a significant acknowledgment for Kerala farming community as well as farm scientists. “Bagging seven out of fourteen awards is very special. The role of KAU in supporting such activists and helping them earn such recognition are often forgotten. I appreciate the efforts of our scientists, especially Dr C R Elsy, Coordinator, KAU IPR cell, Dr M C Narayanankutty, RARS, Pattambi and Dr M R Bindu, ORARS, Kayamkulam, who nominated these farmers,” he said.

The KAU had played a pivotal role in helping the Pokkali Rice farming Community (2011),  Akampadam Padasekhara Samithy (2012) and Ciby Kallungal of Thrissur and N Vasavan of Kannur ( 2012) win the Plant Genome Saviour Awards earlier.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / May 11th, 2016

Who moved my samosa?

Business & Economy, , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

HajaMPOs16may2016

From selling samosas in Pudupet to supplying fried goodies to star hotels and airline caterers, Haja Funyamin speaks to about his momentous journey

It’s a searing hot day and we are lost in the many dusty roads of Red Hills. After going around in circles for 15 minutes trying to locate Hafa Foods, we realise that all we had to do was just ask for it. Passers-by smile with a sense of familiarity. “Ah, samosa kadai,” they exclaim, and direct us towards the unit. An unassuming, candy-pink building sits by the side of the road. It’s calm on the outside, but inside, a group of capped and gloved employees are at work like the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Like clockwork, they stuff vegetables and corn into samosa shells.

Haja Funyamin, 35, the owner of Hafa Foods and Frozen Foods, walks around, sampling cutlets and kieves. “I always taste products from each batch to check the quality,” he says. It’s been quite a journey for the young entrepreneur. Sitting in his air-conditioned office, he says: “I used to make Rs. 1,000 a day in 2006; now, my annual turnover is Rs. 1.5 crore. A small business that started with just three or four people now has 45,” he says.

Regulars at Pudupet market know him as the guy who unfailingly supplied them their evening snack of crispy, golden samosas.

The samosa story started in the early 90s when Haja’s mother would make large quantities of the fried delight. After school, Haja and his older brother would carry the onion samosas and sell them to tea shops in Pudupet. It cost 25 paise a samosa, and between them, the two boys would sell out the batch of 300.

Once Haja got married, his wife helped with the frying. “After four years, in 2006, I received the call that changed my life,” he says, dramatically. A frozen food export company liked his samosas and offered him a business deal. They wanted him to make 5,000 samosas a day, which they would freeze and export. Things were going well for Haja, till the same company decided to stop selling products that cost less than Rs. 5. “Since my product cost only Rs. 1.25, it was stopped. For two months, I didn’t know what to do. I had hired 10 people, and had to pay them. Luckily, I managed a bank loan. With that, I paid the workers and bought myself a flour-mixing machine,” he recalls. The same year, in 2007, he launched Hafa Foods and moved to this 8,000 sq. ft., two-storey unit in Red Hills.

Shortly after that, the same export house told him his products were in demand, and asked him to get in touch with a kiosk named Happy Cool Bar. He started supplying 10,000 samosas a month. As word got around, the demand went up, and so did the range — he added paneer rolls, spring rolls and cutlets.

By 2009, he got bulk orders from amusement parks. The flight kitchens came calling next, followed by star hotels, IT companies and wedding caterers.

“Other than a small outlet in Purasaiwalkam that sells our frozen products, we don’t retail directly through supermarkets and stores. I am sure clients bite into our snacks at hotels and flights and enjoy them, but don’t know who is behind the venture,” he says. Maybe, that’s why part of his future plan is to start a café.

“Now, our catalogue has 16 products,” says Haja, listing out his favourites — chicken pops, nuggets, potato kieves, vegetable wraps, breaded rolls… Next, I plan to introduce vegetable lollipop and sabudana vada. These have been on trial for two months now,” he says. In a week, Hafa Foods makes non-vegetarian goodies only thrice a week. They use 20 tonnes of vegetables and two tonnes of meat in a month. Haja says his wife and he are in the unit from 9 a.m. and stay till 9 p.m., long after their staff leave. Their two children, a 13-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son, study on their own, and he’s happy with how responsible they are. “I am working towards making this an international export company. So, by the time my daughter is 21, she can take charge of it,” he smiles.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Priyadarshini Paitandy / May 16th, 2016

Savour the red mango, a new variety in Medak

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Products, , , , ,

Narsapur (Medak District), TELANGANA :

Eye-catching:(Above) Sk. Jalaludduin handing over the red mangoes to Collector D. Ronald Rose in Medak on Tuesday. The red mango sapling at his nursery.— PHOTOS: Mohd Arif
Eye-catching:(Above) Sk. Jalaludduin handing over the red mangoes to Collector D. Ronald Rose in Medak on Tuesday. The red mango sapling at his nursery.— PHOTOS: Mohd Arif

The red-coloured mango, grown by Sk. Jalaludduin of Narsapur in Medak district, was released here on Tuesday.

Mr. Jalaluddin had collected different saplings from forest area for his nursery out of which one was left to grow for a year that yielded red mangoes. Later, he started working on the mother plant and developed seedlings from that. At present, he has five mother trees and about 60 trees grown from the seedlings and he is planning to expand it to another six acres in the coming season. “Even after the harvest, the mango fruit is in good shape and has more fibre. Even the largest fruit will not be more than 300 grams,” Mr. Jalaluddin told The Hindu .

With the expansion, it is estimated that each acre would accommodate about 120 saplings under ultra high density system. He says while the cost for expansion the first year would be between Rs. 18,000 and Rs. 20,000, the annual expenditure would be about Rs. 6,000 from second year onwards. The variety was not yet named and he was in touch with the officials of the Agriculture University.

Mr. Jalaluddin met District Collector D. Ronald Rose

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by R. Avadhani / Sangareddy – May 11th, 2016

Son may take forward legacy of man who guided Queen Elizabeth, Diana

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, ,

Agra, UTTAR PRADESH :

Princess Diana at Deewan-e-Aam at Agra Fort in 1992. (File Photo)
Princess Diana at Deewan-e-Aam at Agra Fort in 1992. (File Photo)

Two guides in Agra have been contacted by British High Commission for the royal couple’s visit on April 16. However, there is still no confirmation as to who will be deputed to guide the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

One of them is Varun Rawat, whose father Mukund Mohan Rawat was the official guide to Queen Elizabeth (II) who visited the Taj Mahal in 1961, and Lady Diana in 1992. He was contacted by British embassy about six days ago.

Princess Diana signs the visitor book at Taj Mahal in 1992. (File Photo)
Princess Diana signs the visitor book at Taj Mahal in 1992. (File Photo)

The other guide contacted by British High Commission is Shamsuddin, who is the former president of Approved Guides’ Association.

“My father was the official guide to Queen Elizabeth (II) in 1961 and her daughter-in-law Lady Diana who visited the Taj Mahal in 1992,” Varun said.

“My father used to talk about Lady Diana being a down to earth person with immense interest in the history and architecture of Taj Mahal,” he recollected. “He would tell me how Lady Diana interacted politely with the Taj Mahal ‘khadim’,” Varun said.

Varun had guided former US President Bill Clinton when he visited the Taj Mahal in 2000 and again in 2003.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / Hemendra Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times,Agra / April 15th, 2016